Navigating Change

Presented by The Moreno Psychodrama Society and  the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne A One-day Conference on the 5th May 2012  at The Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, Australia  On our journey we continually face more and more complexities as life changes, sometimes slowly and often swiftly. Navigating change by being more mindful, reflective and spontaneous means we can deal more creatively with what life presents us. This conference offers new ideas and creative seminars on theory, practice and research that have application in work and life.  Conference Program at a Glance 8.30 - 9.00am Registration with tea, coffee and juice in the Bishop’s Parlour 9.00 - 9.30am Opening of Conference with Sue Daniel and John De Bono 9.30 - 11.00am Session 1 with three concurrent workshops 1a: Jil Toovey - “Becoming” 1b: Maria Davey, Kahu Flutey, Katarina Gaskin and Lethe Gaskin       “Counselling in Another Culture – a Hui” 1c: Jun Maeda - “From Global Anxiety towards a Future of our Own” 11.00 - 11.30am Morning Tea - Tea, coffee and freshly baked mini sweet pastries/gluten free delights 11.30am - 1.00pm Session 2 with three concurrent workshops 2a: John De Bono - “Energizing the Workplace utilizing Sociometry” 2b: Sue Daniel - “Being in the Present” 2c: Helen Fryer - ”Death in the River of Life” Lunch - Assorted wraps, baguettes/vegetarian selection/gluten-free salad, juice, organic coffee & tea. "Take me to the River: Lunchtime Singing Circle" with Cath Russell & Sharni Page, All Welcome.  2.00 - 3.30pm  Session 3 with three concurrent workshops 3a: Lorraine Michael - “A Story of Encounter and Tele” 3b: Daniel James and Ling Mu - “Exploring the ‘Unsaid’ as a Path to        Free Flow in Individual Therapy” 3c: Danielle Forer - ”Directing a safe crossing”  3.30 - 4.00pm  Afternoon Tea - Warm homemade scones with jam and cream/gluten-free delights. 4.00 - 5.00pm Closing Session 6.30pm  Dinner at Abla’s Lebanese Restaurant (V & GF) 109 Elgin St, Carlton. Seats are limited, so please contact John De Bono on 0429 427 873 secure your spot.  Conference Fee with lunch and refreshments (V & GF) MPS members $88.00 (inc. GST) and Non-Members $99.00 (inc. GST) (Dinner not included).  Post Conference: Open Psychodrama Training Workshop with Lethe Gaskin and Katarina Gaskin Sunday & Monday, 6 & 7 May from 10.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. at PIM in Collingwood, Melbourne. Conference Workshops and Presenters   1a: Becoming with Jil Toovey    Life throws up new life roles for us as we become friends, mothers, partners, fathers, uncles, grandparents and colleagues. Some of these roles we choose and others are bestowed upon us. We tend to ease into a new role and gradually become either more comfortable or confused. Becoming who we want to be in any life role can be a more conscious process if we engage in reflection, sharing in a compassionate community, mirroring and role reversal. This session will enable reflection on the transition into these exciting and sometimes daunting roles. Designing who we want to be in a new life role and becoming more conscious of how we can get in our own way if we don't shed our regressive gives us more freedom, choice and joy as we become important in others' lives. Jil Toovey is a psychodramatist, mother and has recently become a grandmother! Jil became a grandmother in Sept 2011. In this new role she has reflected on her own and others’ Grandmothers, her title and the ways she would like to create this role for herself in a way that she can be a source of love and inspiration for her grandson Charlie. She is also a mother, a partner, a friend, a daughter, a sister and a colleague. All of these roles provide joy and pain as she endeavours to be who she would like to be in each. Professionally, Jil works in the area of leadership. She designs and facilitates intensive programs that run between 1 and 10 days for clients ranging from lawyers in corporate and the Social Justice Sector to senior executives in organisations. 1b: Counselling in Another Culture – a Hui with Maria Davey, Kahu Flutey, Katarina Gaskin and Lethe Gaskin The purpose of this workshop is to create a space for participants to navigate the waters of movement from one culture to another in the world of counselling. There will be an exploration of the resources of my own canoe as I navigate between cultures. Participants are invited to attend a Maori meeting, a hui. Maori traditionally navigated by the stars. There are many models of counselling where counsellors might look for certain pointers or indicators of health or unwellness. There are times when we are working in the dark. Participants in this hui are invited to explore their own ways of counselling between cultures, navigating and exploring new lands whilst maintaining their own robustness and lifefulness. Maria Davey: As a mother of two teenagers and an adult daughter who has given me two grandchildren, I feel very blessed. I am currently in private practice as a counsellor and supervisor, and employed part time as a lecturer for a distance learning institute teaching Hauora Hinengaro – Maori mental health. I also enjoy facilitating women’s education groups. I am a trainee at Psychodrama i Aotearoa. Kahu Flutey: Kahu was born and raised in Greytown and is of Rangitaane, Ngati Kahungunu, Kai Tahu and Samoan descent. She has worked with children and families for the last 30 years. She is a psychologist and supervisor, with a special interest in play/ expressive art therapy. Katarina Gaskin: Katarina Gaskin is a Psychodramatist, Counsellor, Mother, Grandmother, Sister. Katarina is the Kaiāwhina (Assistant Director) of Psychodrama i Aotearoa. Katarina has completed a Bachelor of counselling. She is currently counselling at the Kapiti Women's Centre and in private practice, based at Te Ara Tipu. She runs personal development groups, and assists in training students of psychodrama. Lethe Gaskin: Maori name: Eriha is a psychologist, psychotherapist, psychodramatist, supervisor and trainer. Half of my life so far lived in Melbourne, the other half in Aotearoa New Zealand. I am the Kaiarahi, (Director) of Psychodrama i Aotearoa. 1c: From Global Anxiety towards a Future of our Own with  Jun Maeda We are facing the image of many difficulties in the future. In Japan, a crucial disaster happened and Japan became one of the offending countries that destroyed a natural environment under the banner of 'the peaceful use of nuclear power'. The Euro dream became a nightmare and political systems underwent dynamic change. In the face of the changed economy and politics, we require a new vision in our daily life to guard against the anxiety of the future. In this workshop, Jun will endeavour to reduce this anxiety using sociometric techniques and look for a new vision for the future using a sociodramatic approach on collective anxiety. Jun Maeda was born in Japan 1962. He is Certified Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology in Muroran Institute of Technology. Jun has over 25 years of psychodrama experience and over 10 years psychosocial support work in disaster settings, working as a local trainer in Japan Red Cross Society (JRCS). Jun was one of the psychosocial support coordinators in JRCS for the Great East Japan Earthquake, 11 March 2011. 2a: Energizing the Workplace utilizing Sociometry with  John De Bono   In an increasingly competitive marketplace, forward thinking organizations are investing in the development of positive internal as well as external customer satisfaction. Internal customers are the people we work with and when these relationships are working well people are energized and engaged. In this workshop we will explore the interplay of roles in the workplace. Participants will have the opportunity to experientially unpack these interactions and re-view then them in the light of sociometric perspectives. John De Bono began his professional life as a teacher and then a Principal before forming GroupWise - People Development Services. John consults as an executive coach, mediator, trainer and facilitator specializing in the education, welfare, disability, aged care and health care sectors. John’s interests include organizational development, communication, leadership, team building, and transformational change. An accredited Psychodramatist, he is on the teaching faculty of The Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne and is the current Chairperson of the Moreno Psychodrama Society. 2b: Being in the Present with Sue Daniel Being in the present gives us the best opportunity to be fully engaged in life; to do what we want, to be more fully who we are and to feel more at home in our bodies. By being in the present we are more able to deal with various flotsam and jetsam; anxiety, fears or doubt and their coping partners; disconnection, feeling lost or feeling stuck. This workshop is designed for health professionals who want to work more effectively for the benefit of their clients. Participants might experience: - the value of setting the scene as an aid to being in the here and now - the use of certain techniques in certain situations and when not to use them - what it is like to use our body, mind and heart - enjoyment. Sue Daniel enjoys her work as a trainer, consultant and supervisor in Melbourne and other cities around the world. She is the Director of the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne in Collingwood and has a psychotherapy practice in East Melbourne. Sue values the companionship that emerges from mutual relationship.   2c: Death in the River of Life “Tell me What is it you plan to do with your one Wild and Precious Life?” with Helen Fryer How do we navigate death in the river of life? How do we keep a sense of the flow of life when the waters are turbulent in the face of unexpected death? How do we incorporate the inevitability of death to enhance our experience of life? The workshop will open an exploration of these questions, essential questions in our life and in all our work with clients, even if unspoken. The questions of life and death will be explored creatively in action, providing ways to explore with clients in different settings. Helen Fryer is a psychodramatist exploring the depths of the river, searching for the gold in the grit and the pebbles of the river bed and helping others stay afloat in her role as hospital grief and loss counsellor. She is also a mental health social worker in private practice in Hobart, enjoying life with the amazing views of the River Derwent. 3a: A Story of Encounter and Tele with Lorraine Michael This workshop celebrates why, as Psychodramatists, we work in the way that we do – ‘encounter and tele’ as the central premise of our work with people – where 2 (or more), are re-shaped if not transformed constantly, by the alchemy of coming together as people first, in the ‘here-and-now’. This workshop will bring alive and to life, the person that is in the forefront of the work – not some ‘It’, ‘Case’, ‘Illness’. Participants of this workshop might experience a deep connection to their own existence as well as that of others and a living demonstration of Moreno’s poem ‘An Invitation to an Encounter’ – how we are all mutually connected when we connect to our own existence as well as that of others – how we can all be auxiliaries for and to each other. Lorraine Michael is a Psychodramatist, Counsellor, Occupational Therapist and works within a public mental health system in Melbourne. She runs a twice weekly Psychodrama group (past 9 years), on an acute setting, as well as works with individuals. Apart from clinical work, Lorraine is also involved in training and development of staff across disciplines, and is a sessional tutor at La Trobe University, where she is involved in the ‘Reflective Practice Group’ component of the training program. She also works within a private capacity, offering ‘Counselling-Psychotherapy-Supervision’. 3b: Exploring the ‘Unsaid’ as a Path to Free Flow in Individual Therapy with Daniel James and Ling Mu This workshop explores how psychodrama and sociometry can be used in individual therapy. It will explore the ‘unspoken’ retrogressive and coping roles which manifest in clients and what this can trigger in a therapist (i.e. the therapist’s own coping and/ or retrogressive roles) and facilitate participants’ experience of working psychodramatically with the ‘unsaid’ in their client work. This workshop will look at the interpersonal relationships between: a client and his/ her therapist; the impact of a clients activated roles and the impact of these roles on the therapist. Participants might experience: - A healthy slice of absurdity, something sorely needed on the river of life - Spontaneous use of psychodrama for participants to explore the client/ therapist relationship. - Insight into the many levels of relationships that play out in individual therapy, psychodrama and sociometry. Daniel James is a psychologist working within a forensic environment and also in private practice. He has recently commenced his forth year of training with the Psychodrama Institute of Melbourne. During the night he travels to parallel universes to see how his other selves are going, ensuring that on his travels he does not interrupt the space time continuum by role reversing with his other selves. Ling Mu is a psychodramatist trainee. She moves with her clients by flowing with the river and current, trusting the psychodramatic process, which led her to the love of play, working with children. Ling is a psychologist working in the community and private sector. She enjoys the challenges of an adventure and the adrenalin of running. 3c: Directing a Safe Crossing: Using the River of Life as a sociodrama theme to engage with adolescents, refugees and families with Danielle Forer The River of Life is a sociodrama theme which I have used in many group sessions with young people and families. Rivers tend to resonate with participants from all cultures and ages. Many questions can be explored in action - How fast is the current of life before us? Do we feel we are being swept along, dragged under or are we enjoying the ride? Where are the stepping stones to help us navigate a safe crossing? Participants can expect to explore and experience this theme in action and consider it’s applicability in different group contexts. Danielle Forer is a social worker and Psychodramatist. Danielle works in child and adolescent mental health and has a background in working with refugees and asylum seekers. She loves group work and has many years experience in facilitating and being a participant of groups. Lunchtime Singing Circle, All Welcome Take Me to the River with Cath Russell & Sharni Page   Music means something different to all of us and has the ability to deepen our connection with ourselves and those around us. It helps us be present and open, heightening reflection and the possibility for self expression. Music invites us to express and share places in our spirit beyond words. Come and have fun, be enlivened, and warm up for the afternoon conference sessions, by singing with us during lunchtime. We'll be offering vocal warm ups and group songs to celebrate the conference theme 'The River of Life'. Cath Russell RMT is a mum, a 4th year psychodrama trainee, a musician and a registered music therapist. She presented at the Aus Music Therapy National Conference in 2011, on the overlap between music therapy and psychodrama. Cath currently works as a music therapist with Connections Uniting Care, and with Uni Melb's Music Matters in Schools program. Sharni Page is a professional actor, singer and voiceover artist, having graduated from WAAPA in Musical Theatre. She is a 3rd year psychodrama trainee and mum of two young munchkins. Sharni has been using her skills as a performer and training Psychodramatist to work with actors implementing Psychodrama into the rehearsal process, to increase the creative experience for the actor, and deepen the connection with their character. Post Conference: Open Psychodrama Training Workshop with Lethe Gaskin and Katarina Gaskin Sunday & Monday, 6 & 7 May from 10.00 a.m. - 5.30 p.m. at PIM in Collingwood, Melbourne.   Tu - Ahua I stand fully in my spirit; you stand fully in your spirit Tu Taua We stand with each other, readied for all. * A weekend workshop deepening the openness of the Psychodrama Director - Deepening my presence with my self, and my presence with the group and with the protagonist of the drama. This workshop is for those who are seeking to develop their ability as directors to be open, life-filled and creative. It is suitable for trainees in the psychodrama method, and is also applicable to those who counsel, and those who facilitate, teach, or lead groups. Tihei Mauriora! *Tu - Ahua (Too ah-hoo - a) and Tu Taua (Too toe - wa). Fee (Not included in Coference fees): $350.00 ($300.00 for PIM trainees and MPS members) (Dep. $50.00 due by Friday, 27 April). For Applications and Enquiries, call the PIM office on (03) 9416 3779 or email pim@netspace.net.au